Responses of Soybean Genotypes to Different Nitrogen and Phosphorus Sources: Impacts on Yield Components, Seed Yield, and Seed Protein

Early Sowing on Some Soybean Genotypes under Organic Farming Conditions

The demand for soybeans in Europe motivates breeders, researchers, and growers to find suitable cultivars to adapt and extend the soybean crop to improper climate areas. Weed control is a crucial aspect of crop technology in organic agriculture, but particularly for soybean crops. In laboratory conditions, the cumulative stress index for seedlings was determined to identify the susceptible cultivars. A field experiment with 14 soybean accessions and 2 sowing dates was conducted under organic farming conditions over the course of three years, from 2020 to 2022. Plant population density was found to be significantly (p < 0.01 and p < 0.1) negatively correlated to the degree of resistance to low temperature as well as infestation degree with weeds (for p < 0.05 and p < 0.1), with the exception of early sowing in 2021. Yield was significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.1) correlated with plant population density, with the exception of optimal sowing in 2022. Early sowing variants emerged with vigor in the first two years, breeding lines and registered varieties showed low input, and organic agriculture systems showed low yields in the drought years of 2020 and 2022. Although early sowing even in the first two years proved to be a practice that increased the cultivars' performance, in 2022, due to the long period of chilling stress in the field, this option had negative effects on yield due to the high weed frequency. Therefore, the early sowing strategy for the soybean crop in this particular case of non-irrigated conditions in a temperate continental area proved to be a risky practice.

Selenium nanoparticles reduce Ce accumulation in grains and ameliorate yield attributes in mung bean (Vigna radiata) exposed to CeO2

Exposure of crops to CeO₂ nanoparticles (nCeO₂) in agricultural environments impact crop quality and human health. In this regard, the effects of selenium nanoparticles (nSe) on the yield and quality of Vigna radiata (L.) exposed to nCeO₂ were investigated. The experiment was carried out as a factorial with two factors: NPs (nCeO₂, and nSe) as factor one and concentrations as factor two [(0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/L nCeO₂; 0, 25, 50 and 75 mg/L nSe)]. Nanoparticles were foliar applied to 45-day old mung bean shoot in two steps and one-week interval. At 250-1000 mg/L, nCeO₂ increased P, protein and Ce accumulation in grain. Additionally, at 1000 mg/L, the nCeO_2, significantly decreased seed number, yield, Fe, and Zn storage in seeds. Conversely, at 25 and 50 mg/L, nSe stimulated the growth and yield of mung bean, and significantly increased P, Fe, Zn, and Se in seeds, but reduced the protein content in seeds. The Se₂₅+Ce₂₅₀ and Se₅₀+Ce₂₅₀ significantly increased pod number, seed number, grain weight, yield, Fe, Zn and Se storage in grains. In contrast, the Ce accumulation in seeds decreased in all combination treatments (nCeO₂ + nSe) compared to their respective single nCeO₂ treatments. Moreover, in the plants exposed to high nCeO₂ concentrations, nSe application resulted in undamaged vacuoles, less starch granules' accumulation, significant yield improvement, and elevated Fe, Se, and Zn in seeds. Data suggest that selenium nanoparticles prevent nCeO₂ stress in mung bean and improve grain production and quality.

Impact on plant productivity under low-fertility sandy soil in arid environment by revitalization of lentil roots

Lentil is one of the essential legume crops, which provides protein for humans and animals. This legume can improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, which is imperative in low-fertility soils. The growth and productivity of lentil could be enhanced through improving nutrition and root revitalization. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of root activator (RA) and phosphorus (P) application on morphological, physiological, agronomic, and quality traits of lentil under newly reclaimed low-fertility sandy soil in an arid environment. The RA was applied at four levels of 0 (RA0-untreated control), 1.25 (RA1), 2.5 (RA2), and 3.75 (RA3) l ha^-1. RA contained 9% potassium humate, 1,600 ppm indole butyric acid, 200 ppm gibberellic acid, and 200 ppm naphthalene acetic acid. The recommended rate of phosphorus (P) fertilization in the newly reclaimed low-fertility sandy soil (75 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1) was applied, and its amount was increased and decreased by 25 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 vs. non-added control. Thus, P rates were applied at four rates 0 (P0; control), 50 (P1), 75 (P2), and 100 (P3) kg phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅) ha^-1. Our results revealed that treated lentil plants with the high levels of both treatments (RA3 and P3) exhibited superiority in root measurements (root length, total number of nodules plant^-1, number of active nodules plant^-1, dry weights of active nodules, and total root), nitrogenase activity, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, yield traits, and seed proteins and carbohydrates. However, the recommended P level (75 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1, P2) under the high level of RA (3.75 l ha^-1, RA3) displayed non-significant differences in yield traits (plant height, 1,000-seed weight, seed yield ha^-1) and quality traits (protein and carbohydrate) with the high P level (100 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1, P3). Accordingly, its recommended economically and environmentally to use this coapplication of RA3 and P3 in low-fertility soil for better lentil growth, and seed yield and quality.